DeGreaser’s New Video Takes on Social Media Addiction

What do Colleen Green, Taco Bell Crunch Wraps, and therapy sessions all have in common, other than being vital to my well-being? They all make cameos in DeGreaser’s new video for “CARPE D.M.”, a characteristically short, nervous song from their recent LP, Quarter Life Crisis on BUFU Records. The video was made in collaboration with the Miami Artist Collective Vidium, who have done videos for Human Fluid Rot and Otto Von Schirach as well as other Miami based artists.

“CARPE D.M.” is roughly 90 seconds of anxious, shredding kraut rock performed by frontman Ben Katzman, bassist Natalie Hernandez, and guitarist Kiko Casanova. The vocals only arrive about a minute into the song, when Green—who also produced the LP—asks Katzman, “Dude, what’s up with your Instagram these days?” (In the video, this happens over video chat.) He replies, “Dude, I don’t know, but lately my selfies get way more likes than my art. What’s up with that?”

“The ‘Carpe D.M.’ video is about capturing that feeling you have late at night as you scroll through your socials before going to bed,” Katzman told AdHoc in an email. “Sometimes it’s a feeling of extreme FOMO and despair which leads us down a path of chasing illusions—one where we compare our real-life low points to everyone’s social media highlight reels. I’m just trying to crack a light on my own social media addiction of ‘living for the likes’ while still remembering to do the important things such as rockin’ out with your best friends.”

Behind Katzman at the start of the video hangs a home-made poster that reads, “2gether we can chil mad hard [sic].” It’s tempting to read this as an ironic Instagram caption, but given DeGreaser’s freewheeling approach to punk, it feels more like a statement of purpose.